May 5, 2010

Chicken Piccata is an Italian chicken dish served in a lemon, wine, butter sauce with capers and parsley.

This is a remake of Ina Garten's Chicken Piccata recipe, which is breaded... not a traditional Piccata, however it sounded like it would be really good. To lighten it, I reduced her portions, used whole wheat bread crumbs, and reduced the fat. I served this to my family and my husband pointed out the obvious, "this isn't Chicken Piccata... but it's good!" My daughter who loves anything with lemon really loved this dish. Serve this with a salad and a vegetable.

Cut chicken into 4 cutlets, then place cutlets between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

In a shallow plate, beat the egg whites and 1 teaspoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs in another plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the egg, then bread crumbs.

Heat a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Spray a generous amount of olive oil spray on one side of the chicken, and lay it in the pan, oil side down. Spray the top of the chicken generously to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Set aside until you make the sauce.

For the sauce, clean the saute pan. Over medium heat, melt butter, add the lemon juice, wine, chicken broth and the reserved lemon halves, salt, and pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Discard the lemon halves, add the capers and serve one chicken cutlet on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

120 comments
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Yea! I am so glad you made this over after our convo!!! I can't wait to make your new skinny version!! One thing - you included the capers in the ingredient list but you didn't include them in the directions.

This looks delicious. I have used capers a couple of times but never use a whole bottle. Do they keep well in the fridge? How long? What ARE capers anyway??? Inquiring minds!thankstonileajiffy1212@aol.com

@tonilea yes, they stay in your refrigerator and last a long time. Capers are the unopened flower bud of the prickly caper plant, they come in glass jars in a vinegar brine. Love them with salads, like my cauliflower, lemon and caper salad!

This looks awesome, I'm definitely going to try it! I make a similar dish using pounded flat pork tenderloin coins. To bump up the lemon flavour even more I grate lemon zest into the bread crumbs. I also like to finish the sauce with a touch of fat free half and half.

Hi Gina,I found it at Big Lots. Tastes just like pasta. It is 4 points per 1 cup like regular whole wheat.Being that it is a whole grain, I can use it as a filling food. I know that you get also get it at Whole Foods.

Hi Gina, I made this last night and it was delish!! My son is a picky eater and found it too lemon-ey but I loved it. Next time I think I'll save a a few pieces for him w/o sauce & just the breaded chicken, they came out SO moist and using whole wheat bread crumbs (I find) give a heartier, deeper taste (just like whole wheat pasta).

Gina!!!Are you kidding me??? You are AMAZING!!! this is the 4th recipe we have tried of yours in about 4 weeks. I found your website and I have made the manicotti, barbacoa beef and turkey black bean enchaladas. All 3 were amazing and my husband and I love them all. Then tonight, when I got home, my husband (best hubby on earth) saw your website in my favorites and took it upon himself to make this!!! IT WAS DELICIOUS. It will be a staple in our house just like your other recipes. You have found life long fans in us. THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Loved this recipe. Made the mistake of getting plain whole wheat bread crumbs (instead of seasoned), so I added some Mrs. Dash Lemon & Pepper seasoning to the bread crumbs -- about teaspoon or so -- until I could smell the seasoning in the crumbs. I'll definitely make this again.

I made this last night along with the roasted broccoli and smashed garlic. WOW. Was it ever so tasteful. My boyfriend ate 3 of the 6 pieces of chicken, while I stuck to the 1 serving. I can't wait to make it again.

Hi Gina,my question for this recipe is,can I use those liquid eggs in the carton,rather than egg whites? I also think that the carton eggs come with just egg whites although I'm not positive.You do a fabulous job,and a great service to all of us that are making a effort to be healthier. Many thanks.

Gina this receipe sounds great but if I may make a suggestion, try making this next time without breading it. Just as delicious but less points because the breading is omitted. I have eaten this in restaurants and they don't bread it. The taste is the same but less calories. I love your website and all your recipes, keep adding more!

OMG stumbled upon this site by accident. Didn't have a couple of the ingredients (wine or capers) but just used a little more chicken broth. It was fantastic! I've bookmarked your site and can't wait to try your other recipes. YUM YUM

This is one of my favourite recipes so far! Really amazing and fairly simple. I made it with Asparagus and a side of Limone Pasta like someone her suggested. I used the Kamut pasta but points value doesn't really change does it? It tastes the same as regular pasta.

Delicious! We just finished this and it was amazing! Thanks for this...sure to be a frequent staple in our weekly menus! Your website it a new favorite of mine! I do have one question - when I put this in the recipe builder, I got a little higher number for the P+ value. Do you take into consideration the reduction of the sauce? Just trying to learn all of this!

Made this dish for a dinner party and it was FABULOUSSSS my guests loved it! So so nice and I am going to make it again this weekend.. Followed the recipe to a tee and it was perfect! Your food is amazing, I cannot thank you enough for all that you do! :) Lisa

Gina- thanks for getting back to me. I keep getting 31 pts total for recipe and then per serving is 8P+- even with the uncooked chicken breasts. Either way...so WORTH whatever the points are- this dish is absolutely delish ;) Will be frequently in my rotation of meals! Have loved every single thing from your website! The seasoned fried with aioli are wonderful too!

This is a wonderful dish. Megan, I recalculated all over again and I'm getting the same Nutritional info. When I plug the numbers into calculator I still get 5 pts plus. That's with cooked weight for the chicken as 12 oz (4 oz raw becomes 3 oz cooked) I'm not sure if the wine could be the reason?

I'm having a hard time finding whole wheat bread crumbs in the markets near me (have tried 4 markets plus Wal Mart and Target). Was wondering if can make bread crumbs from whole wheat bread. Anxious to try this.

I made this last night and it was delicious! I did, however, change the cooking method a bit. I'm not doing a strict WW thing right now, so I started browning them in a bit of olive oil but felt like I was not getting the golden, crispy crust like in the picture. So after browning, I through them in the oven to finish them off. They were perfect and juicy after about 10-12 minutes. Also, for those having a hard time finding the wheat crumbs...I actually found them over in the seafood area, after asking a clerk!

Made this tonight. I used panko, but only because I couldn't find whole-wheat breadcrumbs that did NOT have high-fructose corn syrup. It's in EVERYTHING. I usually make my own. I also omitted the capers as a preference. Anyway... it was SO YUMMY. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes!!

I made this using panko bread crumbs instead of whole wheat as that is what I had on hand and it came out devine! A definite great summer dish as the lemon is so fresh tasting. Delicious and point friendly. I served it with a side of spaghetti ali olio(olive oil and garlic) and some roasted asparagus and it was a hit!

Directions:1. Pound chicken breast to 1/4-inch wide between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.2. Heat 1 Tbsp. margarine in large saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and spinach and saute until spinach wilts, 2-3 minutes. Place spinach mixture on 4-5 paper towels and squeeze excessive moisture out.3. Place spinach in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Mix in goat cheese.4. Spread 1/4 of the filling on each chicken breast, roll up and secure with toothpick.5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat olive oil in large saute pan over medium high heat until hot, add rolled chicken breast and brown on each side for 3 minutes. Remove from pan to baking dish, cover with foil and place in the oven to finish cooking for 10-12 minutes.6. Meanwhile, add remaining 1 Tbsp. margarine and mushrooms to saute pan that the chicken was cooked in. Saute mushrooms until lightly browned and cooked.7. Sprinkle mushrooms with 1 Tbsp. flour, stir well. Add brandy and chicken broth and cook for 3 minutes to reduce liquid. Add fat free half-and-half and parsley, cook for 1 more minute until the sauce is thickened.8. Place cooked chicken breast on plate and top with mushroom brandy sauce.

I really liked this recipe. For those that recommend without the breading, forget about it. It is no fun to make your recipes the smallest amount of calories possible just for the sake of it. This is fantastic as posted. Gina, I love that your recipes keep all the fun and flavor, within a healthy lifestyle. I'll make this one again and again.

LOVED this :) I had to use a bit more olive oil spray (but counted for it) to get my chicken nice and browned, but the recipe was wonderful. I've made the full fat version of Ina's (I adore her recipes) and this was just as good! THANK YOU!

Let me know if you ever come up with a way to lighten up her turkey lasagna recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/turkey-lasagna-recipe2/index.html)!

Made this recipe desipte my husband not being a big fan of chicken breast..he absolutlely loved it came out moist..Once my chicken had the color I wanted I finshed them in the oven for couple mins to make sure they cooked through...Quick, easy and tasty

My mom and I made this last night for my ourselves and my dad. This was by far the BEST thing we have made from your site. My mom is on Weight Watchers and we have never found such a great site with recipes that are healthy and don't taste like diet food. You rock!

I am so glad that I found your site Gina!! Your recipes are amazing. I made this recipe and several others which were fabulous as well. Tonight I am making your eggplant parmesan and your pasta fagioli. Can't wait for dinner...LOL!!

This is now the forth recipe of yours I've made (after finding this site a week ago) and it was delicious!!! I was a bit worried when I tried the sauce as it was cooking and even told my partner that he wasn't going to like it. Then I added the capers and BAM! It was awesome and he loved the sauce!!

I LOVED this recipe and so did my husband and Mom- made it for her birthday dinner last night! There is an italian restuarant in Sac, CA called Michaelangelo's and they have chicken picatta that is to die for- this is VERY close to the same flavors!!!! I was STUNNED!!!! They only heard during dinner was "Mmmmm." Thank you SO MUCH for posting this an all your other delious meals! I served mine with fried polenta cakes- like the restaurant I mentioned does, polenta is time consuming but SUPER yummy!

I found your website a few weeks ago, right when I started WW. I have not made a recipe since that didn't come from you. This dish was very, very good. My husband would rate it close to his #1 favorite so far! :)

I make this all the time as I always have the ingredients on hand, and just have to buy lemons! I LOOOOOVE IT! I think it is a great way to make chicken tenders too, without frying them in oil like my mom always did. I always pop these in the oven at 375 for about ten minutes just to make sure they are cooked through, but they are still always so moist. I have discovered that I LOOOOVE capers so I always add extra to the sauce lol. Thanks Gina!

I put the chicken in a baking dish (after cooking stovetop) with the white wine and lemon juice and put it in the oven @ 350 for 10-15 minutes and it soaked up the juices - delicious! LOVE your recipes. Keep 'em coming!

I made this tonight for dinner and it was fantastic! Thanks Gina for all the wonderful recipes you make I just bought the popsicle mold on amazon to make the fruit yogurt pops! Can't wait to see how they work out! Again I love your site and am so happy I found it!

Had never tried this before, but it was delicious! The sauce tasted by itself will make you question how it will taste on the chicken, but once it has a chance to soak into the meat, it adds a beautifully sweet flavor that I have never tasted before. I did not add the capers, but it was great without them. With this we had Roasted Peppers and Onions (my favorite!) and Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes. All a huge hit with the family! Tonight is Spinach Stuffed Shells night! Yum Yum!!!

Gina I see a feew of your recipes call for whole wheat bread crumbs... I don't recall seeing those at our local grocery stores. What would it do to the nutro. facts if I used regular italian bread crumbs?

I'm confused and hope someone can clarify. Do you start with two chicken *breasts* & then pound to 1/4 inch? Because when I purchase chicken *cutlets* they are already about 1/4 inch thick. This recipe sounds wonderful and would like to add it to the list for next week. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Whenever I bread things without dipping them in flour first (before the egg wash) the bread crumbs always fall off. If I coat the chicken with flour, how many points+ do you think it would add to the final recipe?

Delicious dinner last night - hubby commented that it was one to go on the list, last time he said that it was also a skinny taste recipe!

for anyone concerned about opening a bottle of wine for 1/4 cup for the recipe - use vermouth. it can be substituted in any recipe calling for wine at 66% of the original recipe - i.e. for this recipe use 2 3/4 Tbsp of vermouth. vermouth can be kept like any spirit and keeps forever.

Let me start off by saying that I'm not a very good cook. Therefore, I'm usually not impressed by recipes because of my own short comings. With that said, this was SO GOOD! I used all wine instead of substituting in chicken broth. The sauce was delicious and the chicken was tender. I served the rest of the wine with dinner. I paired this meal with salad and your creamy lemon cheesecake yogurt cups for desert. I have to admit, I kept complimenting myself on this meal and my "mad skills".

Finally made this last night after staring at it on your site for months...it was so good! I ended up using one chicken breast and splitting it into three pieces - made pounding it into thinner pieces very easy. One piece for me and two for my husband was plenty. Will absolutely make this again! THANKS!

Made this tonight, I have always used food network recipe & I have to say that yours is soooo much tastier!!! And since I am Cuban, I need rice with every meal, if not its not a meal, lol, I made your cilantro lime rice!!!! OMG, dinner was amazing and I don't feel guilty!!!! Thank you & keep the recipes coming!!! Xoxo

I made this tonight and it was delicious!! Thanks so much for the great recipe. Like Dunia said, I did not feel guilty. I have never made any chicken piccata before it turned out really well. My husband really enjoyed it. My 2 kids (3and a half and 18 months) both liked it too. I will make this recipe again and again. Thanks!!

I made this a few nights ago and spent the majority of my time fanning the smoke coming from the pan. I kept the heat to medium low and it was still pretty smokey. Olive oil has a low smoke point but no one else seems to be having the same issue; maybe it was just my pan or the olive oil. I found it to be pretty cumbersome, although very tasty when I was finished.

I really liked the flavor and I love using these pieces of chicken in salad or on top of spaghetti squash so I thought I'd try baking this instead of pan frying. Threw them in a 350 degree oven for about 15/20 minutes on each side and they came out wonderfully! Much easier than standing over the stove!

Hi I am new to your site and I pulled up three recipes I thought sounded good and they all had wine in them..can you substitute something for that?My husband has an alcohol allergy and is not able to have any in anything..we don't drink at all so would rather not have it but also want flavor if I am going tom keep the husband on board with us doing this together.

Yet another fantastic recipe that is helping hubby and me work the Weight Watchers program without feeling bored. He liked the flavor the capers added to the sauce, but didn't really like biting into them. That was fine with caper-loving me! We had it with roasted asparagus. What a nice (and photogenic!) dinner. Thanks!

OK seriously this is a top loved recipe in our household! Really tasty & amazing - minus all the butter & oil (traditional fattening recipe) the bigger me used to make it with!! :) I just wrote a post about my favorite recipes and a few of yours are in there! Check it out when you get a free second :) http://www.juliannabelle.com/2014/04/favorite-recipes.html

My grocery store stopped carrying the whole wheat breadcrumbs and I am still on the hunt for them in local places. In the mean time I bought Panko Seasoned....will they be an okay replacement until I find the whole wheat?